of babies and change

Am I really posting this?  Yes, I really am.  Blogging is like therapy.  I might shoot myself in the foot, but here goes...

So, to my own surprise, I'm getting the itch.  And I find myself pondering this strange situation.  Why?  Is it because of all the babies around?  Is it because my baby (now 4 years old) isn't a baby anymore?  This same thing happened when K was in her last year of preschool, too.  If we had another, would I feel the same again when that one was headed to Kindergarten??  Is this some type of vicious cycle?  Am I insane?!

Just yesterday, I asked the man if I could hold him for just a second and I smooched all over his little chipmunk cheeks while he giggled and attempted to squirm away.  I'd made a mental list of why I wasn't having anymore kids, I even posted a tiny bit of it here.  (OK, so I was fuming because I was having a rough day and feeling the SAHM blues, woe is me.)

Not long ago, I approached C with the subject of adding on (by the way, he wants four.)  I questioned him, Why do you want more?  Less is more, I said.  Then, I proceeded on, keeping my list in the forefront of my thoughts and blasting away, shot after shot.  My intentions - to extinguish his desire to increase our family. 

Now, what the heck is going on.  Someone put on the brakes, who is this lady?!

Monday, I was talking to another SAHM of three.  A year apart in age, I'm intrigued by her presence, confidence, her solid faith.  She spoke of the pros and cons of her clan, having more - means more brokeness, if you will.  More chaos, more mommy, mommy, mommy.  Could I handle that?  Whew, sometimes it seems like an overflowing plate but, each day I say yes.  

Maybe this has something to do with it.  In a different way, I can relate so much to this..."my former self was small and inexperienced and a bit off track from what life is really about, I am realizing more that, while I have changed in good and needful ways, I am very much the same as well" - from Kelle Hampton's "this is it".  (One of my favorite bloggers!  If you're interested in reading more from Kelle start here.)  I too, have changed.  Now, I'm finally finding me and just like she says, "what life is really about."  C and I are in a good place.  More than ever, we are fitting together like a glove, learning to mesh and understand each other. 

I read this today, "...in church one Sunday the pastor talked about a very different kind of list: a to-be list.  He said that most of us are so busy doing that we forget to be - to be kind, to be peaceful, to be centered, to be loving." - Guideposts Jan.2009 from Jan Weeks, Grand Junction, Colorado.  These days, I am more confident, less anxious, more comfortable in my own skin than I've ever felt before.  I am becoming more patient, more loving, more settled.  Yep, definitely settled.  I am learning to be and it feels good.

Last chance!

So, my mom and I were feeling pretty crummy the other week when we realized we had missed the deadline for the $35 discount for the 2011 Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure.

(It's held in most major cities.)

Tonight, I was checking my email and voila!

There was a message about the deadline being extended until December 6th!

GOD IS GOOD!

So, I am passing this on...

the regular registration fee is $90,

with the discount - only $55!

The code, you ask?

CURE2011

Now, why I'm involved...
My mother's had breast cancer.
Both of my grandmothers had breast cancer.

My grandmother's two sisters had breast cancer.

My grandmother's mother had breast cancer.

My dad's first cousin died at the age of 34 from breast cancer.

There are many similar stories in my family.

Do you see where I'm going with this?  I think you get the point.

My mom was diagnosed just before Christmas of 2008,
I was fed up!  I'd had enough!  I would lay down no more!

I decided in February 2009, that I was serious about doing the 3-Day.

My best friend, of 20 years and I signed up together as a team,

Cheryl's Girls,

paying tribute to my mom.

A friend of mine, had walked the 3-Day the year before and I had heard her story.

It wasn't good.

I didn't care.  

I was bound and determined to make my stand against breast cancer!

What were the requirements?

Well, first, you had to raise $2,300 in donations in order to
participate in the actual walk.

This was just a tad bit intimidating.

I didn't care, I was gonna' do it.

I raised $6,711.26!

My eyes bulge when I look at this number?

(You see, I live in a teeny, tiny town where it's the norm to make corn pudding and apple pie all the time, people don't just go out and raise thousands of dollars and then, agree to walk 60 miles!  What kinda fools what ever think that up?!  Hmm, I did!)

It was hard work, but I do believe my mom made it all happen due to the person she is.

As a physical therapy aide, she shares her playful spirit and warm heart with

her patients and co-workers daily.  They absolutely love her!

I know she made it easy for me.

All in all, my best friend and I raised just under $10,000 together.

I was so proud of us.  Thinking about it, makes me giddy with excitement all over again!

Lastly, we couldn't just talk the talk...we had to walk the walk!

(OK, with a lot of training in between.)

SIXTY MILES.

Yep, I said it.

Twenty miles a day for three days.

All while camping and using porta-johns!

And yes sirree, we did it!

In 2010, we crewed it (volunteered/staffed).

I plan on crewing again in 2011 and then walking in 2012.

That's the plan at least.

The pictures you see below are from 2009.

If you haven't already,

I encourage you to read my other posts about the 3-Day...

Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure

Recruiting and promoting

Faith and Encouragement

Weather Gotcha Down?

If you read or read my other posts, you will or have seen this year's photos.

We participate in Washington, D.C.  Hope you will join us!

6:00am - Day 1

Day 1 - The Capital

Day 1 - Proud to be holding the "I'm honoring MY MOTHER" flag!



Day 2 - motorcycle patrol, love the kilt!

Day 2 -Entrance to Camp

Day 3 - (freezing cold) and yes, we love the safety patrol!



Day 3 - Sixty miles down!

Cheryl's Girls - Me, Mom, T.

the funniest things

K and the man were putting Christmas "window clings" up...

the man:  "I will help you, K, 'cuz I love doing hard work."

(Since when?)

The other day, he and I were out, having burgers before a short shopping trip...

MK: "Is your burger good?"

the man: "Yes.  Do these seeds grow more burgers?"

MK:  (laughing)  "No, they just make the bun look nice."

(I tried to keep it simple.)

to be thankful

When asked the question, this Thanksgiving, "What are you thankful for?" 

My mind went blank...my family, I said. 
It's true, I am so thankful for them, each and every crazy one 'em!
My mind always draws a blank when I'm put on the spot. 

Just not good when it comes to the quick-draw. 



July 2008




I thought for a minute...I was thankful for the day I spent with my brother last weekend.

It was more time than we'd spent together in a while.  He's always busy with work and it's now hunting season, so he's spending every last waking moment in the serenity of the deep woods.  (And I'm always busy running the roads, playing taxi to the monkeys.)
K and the man adore him and he is my only sibling.
I was thankful.



March 2005

  When I ran to get the man a pair of socks, I found he had none. 

So, I ran to the dryer.  Right smack in front of it, was a basket of clean white clothes,

one baby boy sock on top, a match lying on the floor beside it.  I didn't have to dig!

I was thankful.



October 2006

Wednesday night, I volunteered to make dinner for Chris and Andy after her surgery.

I was running behind and K helped me with the roast chickens and upside down apple pie.

Everything was perfect and done on time!
I was thankful.

August 2009



On Thanksgiving Eve, I took the kids to visit Grandma Myrtle and Grandaddy Woodie.

We talked and laughed about coon huntin'. 

Then, Grandaddy pulled out his pictures from the war.

He showed us his pet monkey and what it was like in Okinawa.

For this time together and all the great stories,

I was thankful.



September 2010 (Check out K's face!)



We came home to C processing a deer to put in the freezer.
He hadn't eaten, he was grumpy.  It was late, he was tired.
I ignored his mood, the kids and I goofed off while we worked. 
We got it done and all was well.
I was thankful.

August 2009

This morning, C began cleaning the kitchen,
while I yacked on the phone with my mom.  

I was thankful. 


November 2005



Tonight, as K and the man ran from room to room

playing a little game they made up, giggling all the while,
I was thankful. 



October 2007


I am thankful for my faith, my church, my God.

"The LORD is good.  His love is forever, and his loyalty goes on and on." 

Psalm 100:5

“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not,

but rejoices for those which he has.”  ~Epictetus

Max, Dan and the Man

Don't have much to blog about.  Honestly, I have been too busy cooking and running from here to there and not photographing a single bit of it.  So, I have plenty of things to tell about, just no pictures.  Me, I am a fan of blogs with photos.  That being said, I'm pulling out a couple of photos I took a week or so ago and mixing in some old ones.

Meet Max...My son claims that Max is always sad.  I've tried explaining to him, that God created his big sweet face that way and he's not sad, he's just an American Bulldog.  Truth be told, he really does look sad, but he acts like a Boxer when he's happy.  He runs around with a toy, twisting his big, muscular body from side to side and you can tell he's in heaven!  And don't dare talk to him like a baby because he'll hop in your lap in a split second, leaving your face covered in slime.  He is the biggest, sweetest, ball of wrinkly baby fur you've ever seen (OK, so he's four years old - he's still my baby.)  He is loyal, protective, silly, fun, obedient and handsome.  I wouldn't trade him for the world!

He is fast friends with a little brown rat terrier who goes by the name of -
well, depends on who you ask... 

I call him "Danny-O",
my husband and daughter call him "Dan",
my son calls him "Daniel". 
Take your pick. 

They are partners in crime, but the little one's the trouble maker. 

He's almost a year old and into everything. 

I remember those days with Max, but they're like the pain of childbirth, easily forgotten.



Max grew up with my son, they were babies at the same time. 

The man was born in September, Max in August. 

Everyone said we were absolutely nuts for getting a puppy

when the man was only 2 months old. 

It turned out to be one of the best decisions we ever made! 

Max was great with the man!  Check them out growing up together...

Max never flenched, maybe the other one will grow up to be a doctor?



Or a dentist?

I have tons of photos like these, but we would both be here all day. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

A walk to remember

I woke up this morning, expecting the day to be a very lazy and uneventful one.

K had some place to be, so I dropped her off.

C had errands to run.

I decided that the man and I would take a walk around my great aunt's farm.
It had been a while and we could use some fresh air with the beautiful 60+ degree weather.

Aunt Sis was a proper southern lady.

Very influential to me.

She inspired and encouraged my culinary abilities.

(Along with other brilliant women in our family.)

A God-fearing woman,

involved heavily in the church and the fire department ladies' auxillary,

among other things.

She was a petite woman, spirited, polite, and beautiful.

An educated family historian.
There were many who looked up to her.
She was an icon.

I hope to, one day, be as level-headed, humble, kind and gracious as she was.

I do miss her so.

First, we climbed the enormous hill to the water tower.  
We looked down upon her house nestled in the trees. 
How small all the buildings looked from up there. 

We walked upstream

and up to the rocks

beside the big white barn.

Then, K and Nana showed up.  

Next stop, the pond.

Up the hill, lives Uncle Jamie, in the house where we started out.

We played with the coon dogs,

while Nana played with Izzy.

We played around the house,

on the fences,

and in the yard.

Then, we did it all again.

 

Now the cows were getting suspicious with all this commotion.

This time we detoured.  Headed to the furniture shop, to peer at the river.

Luckily, it was just after noon.  So, they were...

No traffic to dodge. 

We were beginning to feel the pang of empty bellies,

like the bare branches of the autumn trees.

So, we headed home, in the warmth of the sweet, sweet sun

and had barbecue on homemade rolls and tater salad, courtesy of Yoder's.

The faces of angels

Nothing like a good thumb!

Coffee fudge brownie ice cream is beyond words,
makes you wanna save some for later...hee hee.



I got these of K the other night while she was taking one of her 2 hour long baths.

What a goof!

All the water ruckus caught my attention. 

So, in I went to put the smack down. 

Instead, I ran back to grab my camera and snapped away.